


Advance Carefully

by fairyonghee



Category: AB6IX (Band), CIX (Band)
Genre: AB6IX - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Trauma, Cults, Demon woojin, Demon/Human Relationships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Gay Character, Gay Male Character, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Mutual Pining, Non-Graphic Violence, Slow Burn, Trust Issues, ab6ix come later, alternative universe - demon, but oh boy do they cause a mess, byounggon is angsty, cix - Freeform, demon bx, demon byonggon, demon daehwi, demon donghyun, demon hyunsuk, demon seunghun, demon youngmin, human yonghee, hyunsuk is a baby who just wants a family, its defs worth the wait, jinyoung acts annoyed by everyone but is actually a softie, probs not too much, seunghun acts like hyunsuk’s big bro, seunghun is the mom friend, we’ll see how much detail i go into, yonghee is the softest and sweetest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:53:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21987700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyonghee/pseuds/fairyonghee
Summary: In a world where demons and humans coexist, conflict is inevitable. Demons existed with a tainted soul, however as time passed, they evolved to have more human qualities. Demons, however, were unique in that they had heightened senses and physical strength, as well as one special ability each.Historically, demons and humans were at war, fighting over who was the superior species. In recent history, the existence of demons was treated as a myth, a fairytale created by the older generation. Demons only made up a small percentage of the population and kept their existence a secret. With demons having better control over their savage nature they were able to integrate into human culture and maintain a facade of being human. They went to school. They had jobs. They raised families. They had traumas and struggles.What happens when the young, jaded demon, Byounggon meets an innocent, kind hearted orphaned human boy, Yonghee and finds that their fates are intertwined?
Relationships: Bae Jinyoung/Lee Daehwi, Jeon Woong/Park Woojin, Kim Donghyun/Lim Youngmin, Kim Yonghee/Lee Byounggon | BX
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue

In a world where demons and humans coexist, conflict is inevitable. Demons existed with a tainted soul, however as time passed, they evolved to have more human qualities. Demons, however, were unique in that they had heightened senses and physical strength, as well as one special ability each. 

Historically, demons and humans were at war, fighting over who was the superior species. In recent history, the existence of demons was treated as a myth, a fairytale created by the older generation. Demons only made up a small percentage of the population and kept their existence a secret. With demons having better control over their savage nature they were able to integrate into human culture and maintain a facade of being human. They went to school. They had jobs. They raised families. They had traumas and struggles.


	2. Stuck In Trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byounggon was abandoned by his mother as a child leaving him with horrible nightmares of the traumatic event. Hyunsuk is struggling to adapt to his new life as a demon after being converted from human to demon by a cult. Seunghun wants to support his friends, but is his kindness putting them in danger instead?

“Mommy, please don’t go!” The small, six-year-old demon cried out, pulling his mother’s hand. 

The mother ignored the child, snatching her hand away and continuing to pack her things. The child sobbed beside her, tugging at her dress. He repeated every loving phrase he could think of, trying to convince her to stay.

Finally the woman turned to face her child, cradling his face. “Byounggon, I can’t stay. You don’t understand now, but one day you will.” 

With that, the mother walked towards the front door with her suitcase and purse, pausing to slip into a raincoat. The child gave up on words and just cried, following her around with his hands raised, desperate to be held. The father watched silently as this unfolded, following them from room to room. 

The child raced past his parents to the door, stretching arms out in an attempt to block the entrance. The mother hesitated before turning to face the man with a nod. The man nodded back, picking the crying child up, holding him back from his mother. The child kicked and screamed, his cries ignored by his parents who remained silent and expressionless.

“I have to go now. Goodbye Byounggon. I’ll be back,” the woman finally said, giving a small wave before closing the door behind her.

She never came back.

* * *

“Byounggon! Get up!” a voice called out from across the apartment. 

Byounggon just groaned, burying himself deeper under his covers. He had barely slept last night due to recurring nightmares, only being able to sleep peacefully for thirty minutes at a time before the flashbacks infiltrated his dreams. This had been an ongoing occurrence for as long as he remembered, the memories of that night tainting his dreams and making it next to impossible to sleep.

He managed to drift back to sleep for five minutes before his bedroom door slammed open.

“Get your lazy ass up now! I have work and we have no food thanks to your and Hyunsuk’s unreasonable appetites. Get to the supermarket now! I’ve written a list and I expect everything to be brought!” Byounggon‘s roommate, Seunghun, nagged as he stomped around the room, opening the blinds and grabbing a random outfit from Byounggon‘s  wardrobe. 

Byounggon groaned again, but knew better than to ignore Seunghun’s orders. The two boys had grown up together in a small country town, bonding as the only two demon children in the town. Seunghun’s family had acted as a second family to him after his mother left him and his father became distant. Seunghun had always been doting and almost parental towards the other. With this came well intentioned demands that if left ignored, would cause a huge riot. 

He sat up and stretched, only to be met by Seunghun glaring at him from across the room. “Do you really have to look at me like that when I’ve just woken up? Way to ruin my morning.” 

Seunghun ditched a cushion at him in response before leaving the room to wake up their other roommate in a notably nicer tone. 

“How biased,” Byounggon muttered as he changed into the outfit Seunghun had picked for him. 

Byounggon lived with two other demons, one being Seunghun and the other Hyunsuk. Sometimes a demon named Jinyoung would stay with them, but he was known to be impulsive and disagreeable, so he usually didn’t stay for long. The three demons tried to live relatively normal lives, concealing their abilities and doing the same things that most young adult humans did. As well as the heightened strength and senses that came with being a demon, each boy had one unique ability. Seunghun and Hyunsuk both had mental abilities, Seunghun’s being the ability to instantly identify whether someone was a demon or not, as well as being able to read their abilities. Hyunsuk had the ability to temporarily erase the abilities of other demons. Their abilities were relatively easy to hide. Byounggon‘s ability was physical, allowing him to have heightened strength and speed far beyond that of an ordinary demon. His was more difficult to conceal, with him having to be conscious of how much power he used so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. Byounggon didn’t integrate into human society because he wanted to, in fact he despised humans. He did it to keep the two boys that he loved and cared about safe.

As he stumbled to the bathroom, Byounggon couldn’t ignore the throbbing in his head, a common side effect of his nightmares. 

“Shit!” he exclaimed, slamming his hands against the counter before glaring up at his reflection. 

He was almost twenty-two-years old, far too old to let his childhood trauma take a toll on him. Yet here he was, dark circles clouding his eyes and a pale appearance caused by stress, an undeniable sign that his past was still haunting him. 

“Make sure you remember to look up the entry requirements for a few of the universities nearby today,” Byounggon heard Seunghun nagging again, this time to their younger roommate, Hyunsuk. “It’s almost time for exams and I know you can get into a good university.” 

Hyunsuk just nodded in response, eating scrambled eggs that Seunghun had made for him. Seunghun smiled fondly at the younger boy, ruffling his unruly bed hair as he walked past. Anyone who saw the scene with no context would think that Seunghun was Hyunsuk’s father or something. They wouldn’t be too far off, the older had gladly become a guardian figure for the younger boy when they had first met.

“G’morning, Byounggon!” Hyunsuk exclaimed, snapping Byounggon out of his thoughts. 

“Morning, Hyunsuk,” Byounggon replied as he walked to the cupboard to make a bowl of cereal. 

Before he could open the doors, Seunghun grabbed his arm and turned Byounggon to face him. He examined his face before sighing. “Did you have nightmares again?”

Byounggon pulled his arm away, embarrassed by the doting nature of the younger boy. He noticed Hyunsuk staring intently at them, unaware of what Byounggon‘s nightmares were about. Seunghun was the only one that knew. “Nah, I just couldn’t sleep well,” Byounggon replied, trying to sound nonchalant. He avoided eye contact with Seunghun but could tell that he was looking at him with disbelief. 

Seunghun leaned over and whispered, “you know you can come to me if they get bad, right?”

Byounggon scoffed. “I’m not a kid, I don’t need babysitting.”

Seunghun sighed again. “It’s not childish to ask for help. Maybe you should stop being so closed off.”

It wasn’t that Byounggon didn’t trust Seunghun. They’d grown up together and knew almost everything about each other. But by telling Seunghun his problems it meant he had to relive his bad memories, something Byounggon wanted to avoid at all costs. 

“I’m fine,” Byounggon replied, squeezing Seunghun’s shoulder in assurance, ignoring Seunghun’s look of disbelief. He walked over to Hyunsuk next, ruffling his hair. “What’s this I hear about going to university though? I don’t think he’s ready.”

Hyunsuk was not born demon, rather he was born human. He had been turned into a demon by a demon cult who had killed his family. The cult collected teenage humans to convert to demons in order to use the abilities they would develop. Hyunsuk hadn’t been a demon for very long, meaning he didn’t have much control over his ability yet. Newly converted demons were impulsive and emotionally driven as their bodies adapted to the change, making them a major threat, particularly to humans. 

“I think he’s ready,” Seunghun replied, back hugging Hyunsuk. “He doesn’t have any need to use his ability anyway and has had better control over his strength lately.”

Hyunsuk didn’t answer, Byounggon noticing that he was hyperfocusing on eating his food instead. Hyunsuk had been worried about endangering people with his new abilities, almost not graduating because he avoided going to school. Hyunsuk had always wanted to go to university, but now he was unsure about whether it would be safe. Seunghun doted on the youngest boy and wanted him to live a normal “human” life as much as he could. Byounggon worried that Seunghun was being too idealistic and was trying to make the younger boy happy without considering the consequences. 

“Sukkie?” Seunghun asked, snapping the youngest boy out of his daydream.

“O-oh! I guess we’ll see what happens, right? I’ll still look into the universities for you!”

Byounggon sighed, noting how the younger said “for you”. Like Seunghun, Hyunsuk didn’t want to disappoint and was doing what he thought would make people happy. 

“I think you need to think this through. What will happen if Hyunsuk can’t control his abilities? University is stressful and probably isn’t the best place for a demon who can't control their emotions or abilities properly. Remember what happened before Hyunsuk left that cult? Imagine how destructive that would be at a whole university. So many humans could be hurt and we would be blamed. Humans are cruel and do not understand us. They will never understand Hyunsuk or his actions-” Byounggon started before Hyunsuk slammed his fork onto his plate loudly. 

The two older demons were silent as they watched the younger race around the bench to put his dishes away. “Let’s not talk about this anymore,” he muttered, forcing a smile before rushing to his room. 

“Seunghun-” Byounggon was interrupted again, this time by Seunghun raising his hands dismissively. 

“Let’s talk about this later. I have to go to work. But you need to get the fuck over your human complex, I understand what happened in the past, but that was one person. You can’t hold that against every single person, especially Hyunsuk. Don’t forget he was one.”

* * *

Byounggon kicked a bottle cap across the path, hands stuffed in his pockets with annoyance. It was hard being the “mean” voice of reason amongst one idealistic, extremely empathetic demon and one young, inexperienced demon. As much as he didn’t get along with Jinyoung, Byounggon couldn’t deny that he appreciated his realistic, quite pessimistic views that balanced out the rest of the apartment. But they hadn’t heard from Jinyoung for two months now after he stormed out in one of his rages. 

Byounggon wished the others understood where he was coming from. He wanted Hyunsuk to be successful, but there were so many risks involved. A natural born demon would be able to hide his identity and graduate university unnoticed. Hyunsuk was still unstable, his new strength and heightened senses sending him into unpredictable emotional frenzies that were destructive and dangerous. Byounggon and Seunghun could handle them, but humans? They would never understand. It wasn’t unheard of for demons who didn’t know how to control their abilities to be sent to mental facilities, humans thinking they were psychotic. If that didn’t happen, Byounggon knew humans were quick to isolate, bully or abandon those who were different. Regardless of Hyunsuk’s past, Byounggon didn’t want him to get hurt.

“Hand it over now! This is your last warning!”

Byounggon turned towards the sound. Three burly men were cornering a smaller boy, who was looking around desperately for an escape.

“I-I told you I can’t! I need it for my rent!” the small boy pleaded, only to be thrown to the ground. Once on the ground, the boy noticed Byounggon staring. He looked at Byounggon with soft, pleading eyes, whimpering in desperation.

Byounggon would have kept walking. It was just a human, he didn’t care about them. He wouldn’t have thought twice about what he just saw. He’s witnessed conflict like this many times, humanity’s cruel nature creeping out, more terrifying than the demons in their supposed fairy tales. That’s what Byounggon would have done, right?

Instead, he felt himself being drawn towards the helpless boy. He ran towards the men and threw a punch at their leader, who was kicking the small boy into the ground. The man was thrown back against the wall, leaving his subordinates in shock at how a significantly smaller Byounggon had overthrown their hefty leader. They hesitated slightly before throwing themselves at Byonggon, only to be punched and kicked twice as hard, leaving them cowering on the ground. The small victim looked up at Byounggon with a mix of fear, confusion and admiration.

“Get up,” Byounggon said coldly, the reality of his actions sinking in. He couldn’t believe that he had just helped a human. 

The boy didn’t get up, instead he continued staring with curious doe eyes. Soft brown hair that curled into ringlets at the end framed the boys face and a charming mole sat under his eye. Byounggon felt himself being drawn in by the boy’s soft appearance, but shook his head before grabbing onto the boy’s hand sharply, yanking him up. “I said get up.” 

The boy jumped slightly at Byounggon‘s harsh tone before bowing lowly. “Thank you so much! Please let me repay you!”

Byounggon was taken aback by the boy’s action. “Uh, there’s no need.” With that he turned and walked quickly away wanting to forget what he had just done as soon as possible. 

* * *

Byounggon struggled down the hallway with several bags full of heavy groceries Seunghun had demanded. He fiddled around with his key before being startled by thumping coming from within the apartment. After hearing a cry from Seunghun, he threw the groceries down allowing him to unlock the door properly. He opened the door as Hyunsuk had Seunghun pinned to the ground, grasping his wrists so tightly bruises were forming.

“Hyunsuk, stop!” Byounggon called out, yanking the younger boy off. Byounggon‘s ability of heightened strength was the only thing that could overpower the new demon’s emotion driven attacks. Byounggon regretted leaving Seunghun alone and defenseless with the younger demon after Byounggon had been the one to upset him. 

“You don’t get it!” Hyunsuk exclaimed, fighting against Byounggon‘s hold. Byounggon felt his strength begin to dwindle. He assumed that Hyunsuk was attempting to use his ability against him to erase his ability. Thankfully the young demon still couldn’t use his whole ability yet, so Byounggon could fight against it. He feared the day when Hyunsuk had full control of his power, he didn’t know how he’d restrain him then. 

“Sukkie, please keep your voice down. We have neighbours,” Seunghun said calmly, ever understanding and forgiving of the younger’s turmoil.

Byounggon pulled Hyunsuk into a hug, still using his strength to prevent the boy from getting away.  “Is this about this morning?” He asked calmly, stroking the younger’s hair. 

Hyunsuk stopped trying to pull away and sighed. He remained silent and avoided eye contact with the two older demons.

“Hyunsuk, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just worried, that’s all.”

“And I’m just a monster!” Hyunsuk cried, tears streaming down his face, his anger replaced with sorrow.

“You are not,” Byounggon continued, lifting the boy up and walking over to their couch, where he sat with the boy now in his lap. “You are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, you would never hurt someone intentionally. A monster would.”

“But I just hurt Seunghun,” Hyunsuk lowered his eyes in guilt.

“You didn’t mean to. We understand that, but that’s what you need to understand. That’s why I’m worried, Hyunsuk. You can’t control it.”

Hyunsuk whimpered, burying his head in the olders chest. “I will never be able to control it. Never.”

“Every demon has to learn how to control their abilities. You have to be patient.”

“Mine is useless. I can’t even help anyone with it.” Hyunsuk felt insecure about his ability, largely due to how it had been exploited by the cult he had been held captive by. His ability was well sought after, it allowed the cult to prevent the demon police from making arrests and stopping their activities, as well as making it easier to capture new demons.

“Mine isn’t that helpful either, Hyunsuk,” Seunghun replied. “But we don’t really need to use our abilities do we? So you don’t have to worry about it. Not many demons use their powers nowadays anyway. We all know Jinyoung never uses his.”

Byounggon looked up at Seunghun at the mention of Jinyoung’s name. “You’re always saying that, yet you’re still the only one who knows what that obnoxious brat’s ability is.”

Seunghun shrugged, knowing his ability was the only reason he knew what Jinyoung's ability was. “He swore me to secrecy.”

“Is that what it is? Stopping people from saying things?”

“Of course not. We all know how stubborn he is, he would use that ability on anyone who expresses an opinion to him that he didn’t agree with. You would be the biggest victim considering how much you bug him.”

It was Byounggon‘s turn to shrug. He then looked down at Hyunsuk, who was still in his lap, now looking drowsy, probably exhausted from using his newly heightened strength. 

“Shall we head to bed?” Byounggon asked softly, gently ruffling the youngest boy’s hair.

Hyunsuk nodded weakly before stumbling to his feet. Seunghun and Byounggon were quick to wrap the youngest’s arms around their shoulders and help him walk to bed. After tucking Hyunsuk in, they both hesitated, trying to decide whether to talk more about what had happened. Both were exhausted, so decided against it, instead going to bed after packing away the groceries previously abandoned by Byounggon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiya! this is my first fic so it won’t be perfect! especially the formatting, i’m still so confused D:
> 
> anyways i’d love to know what you think! pls give me any feedback, all is welcome and very appreciated!
> 
> also feel free to ask me questions through my curiouscat and talk to me on twt:  
> twt: @fairyonghee  
> cc: https://curiouscat.me/fairyonghee


	3. Sorries and Sympathies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Seunghun being the best big brother to Hyunsuk, showing that family is more than blood ;-;

Hyunsuk pressed his ear against Seunghun’s door, listening to see if the older boy was asleep or not. He heard soft snores on the other side and sighed, his hand hovering over the door knob. He finally twisted the knob slowly, being as silent as possible. Once inside the dark room, he looked towards the bed where Seunghun was asleep with his arms above his head and a pout on his face. Hyunsuk hesitated again, deciding whether he should wake the older boy up or not. 

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Seunghun sat up. “Mhmm? Hyunsuk?” he mumbled with one eye squinted open.  
Hyunsuk considered ignoring him and just leaving, but decided against it when he realised how weird it would look. “Yeah it’s me. How did you know I was here?”  
“Instincts, I guess. Or the fact that I’m a demon and I am more sensitive to noise than what you’re used to assuming. I heard the door knob,” Seunghun explained, grinning at Hyunsuk’s realisation. He turned on the lamp next to his bed before shifting so that there was room beside him for the younger boy. Hyunsuk slowly climbed into the bed, pulling the covers over his legs with a deep sigh.  
Seunghun looked fondly at the adorable younger boy who was pouting with hair sticking up in all directions. He was also wearing pastel blue pyjamas, making him look small and innocent, masking his actual tall stature. “C’mere,” Seunghun laughed softly, pulling the younger to his side. 

They sat in silence for a while, with Seunghun tracing patterns rhythmically onto the younger boy’s hand. Hyunsuk breathed softly with his head against Seunghun’s shoulder, making the older think that he had fallen asleep. “Hyunsuk,” he whispered, not wanting to wake the boy if he was asleep.  
“I’m sorry, Seunghun,” Hyunsuk whispered, breaking the silence.  
Seunghun debated asking the younger why he was apologising, but truthfully, he already knew what this was about. Instead, he craned his neck, trying to see the younger boy’s face before replying, “there’s no need to be.”  
“You’re too nice. Can’t you just give me what I deserve for once,” Hyunsuk mumbled, intertwining his and Seunghun’s hands.  
“And what do you deserve?”  
“I deserve to be punished. You should hate me. You should do the same to me as I’ve done to you. It’s not the first time.”  
Seunghun noticed Hyunsuk staring guiltily at the bruises on his wrists and pulled his sleeves down to cover them. “It’s different, Hyunsuk. I can control myself because I was born this way. If I attack someone, it’s my fault because I made a conscious decision to do that. Tell me, did you want to attack me?”  
Hyunsuk paused. Of course he didn’t want to attack Seunghun, but he still did, so that meant it was just as bad.  
“I know you didn’t want to. It’s almost like you blacked out right?” Seunghun continued as though he was reading Hyunsuk’s thoughts. Hyunsuk nodded slowly in response and he squeezed the younger demon’s hand tighter. “I know it’s hard to understand, but biologically, you can’t control yourself yet. Your body and mind are going through a significant change that very few people in history have gone through, transforming from human to demon. One of the side effects of this change is lack of control, especially when emotionally stressed. Make sure you remember that whenever you feel guilty.”

“You sound like a textbook,” Hyunsuk replied with a soft laugh. Then his face fell again as he looked down at his lap. “I know you’re right, but I still feel awful. I give you and Byounggon so much stress, and I can tell Byounggon is already going through a lot. I’m such a burden.” Hyunsuk’s bottom lip began to quiver as he wrapped his arms around Seunghun, gripping the older’s shirt tightly. The younger boy began to tremble and his breathing became sharp and irregular.   
Seunghun shifted so that the younger was sat between his legs and pulled him back so that Hyunsuk’s back was lying against his chest. He then wrapped his arms around the younger’s shoulders, giving him a back hug. “We worry about you, yes, but I wouldn’t label it as ‘stress’. We love and care about you, and we want to help you. You’re absolutely not a burden. You bring us so much joy. You’re so fun to be around, things have definitely brightened up since you came here.”  
Hyunsuk tilted his head back and looked up at Seunghun with doubt. Seunghun just smiled assuringly down at the younger, pulling him closer. 

They continued sitting together until Hyunsuk noticed Seunghun beginning to drift off again. “Can I sleep here?”  
Seunghun shifted, pulling the younger down with him so that they were lying side by side on his pillows. “Always.”  
Seunghun slowly stroked the younger’s hair as they closed their eyes to sleep. Hyunsuk noticed Seunghun’s movements stop and listened to his quiet breathing, before rolling over to face the older boy. “I love you.”  
Hyunsuk jumped slightly when the older boy who he thought was asleep turned to face him too. “I love you too, Sukkie.”  
“Is it weird that I think of you like my family?”  
“Of course not, because I feel the exact same way. I’ve been telling you that for a long time now.” Seunghun grinned at the younger boy’s overjoyed expression, knowing how much Hyunsuk needed and wanted a family. From the very first time he had met Hyunsuk he was more than happy to fill that role. He was glad that Hyunsuk finally trusted him and felt the same way.


	4. Coffee and Stares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byounggon’s has worked in the same coffee shop for over a year, appreciating its simplicity and routine. However, when Yonghee discovers where Byounggon works, the demon finds himself feeling insecure about his interest in the human, causing him to make a decision he will likely regret.

‘Finally, some quiet’ Byounggon thought, heaving a sigh as he glanced around the cafe he worked at. Byounggon had been working there for over a year, with Seunghun wondering how a demon who hated humans could tolerate serving them all day long. While Byounggon didn’t enjoy being around humans, he did appreciate the set rituals and routines of the cafe. The same customers came in asking for the same orders which were prepared in a set, orderly way. Just what Byounggon liked; an unchanging and predictable routine. Plus, they had rent to pay and Byounggon wasn’t quite irresponsible enough to put his feelings above his adult responsibilities.

“H-hello?” a soft voice stuttered, snapping Byounggon out of his thoughts.  
“Sorry about that how can I help you,” Byounggon apologises, putting on his customer service voice and smile. His face fell when he realised that the human he had helped yesterday was the one standing in front of him. “It’s you.”  
“Oh...yes,” the human boy blushed, shyly brushing his soft brown hair out of his face. “I didn’t get the chance to thank you properly yesterday.”  
“There’s no need,” Byounggon replied bluntly, avoiding eye contact by tapping the tablet used to take orders.  
“Isn’t there any way I can pay you back? I really appreciate your help, most people would have walked past.”  
“I said don’t worry about it.” Byounggon didn’t need to be reminded of the abnormally kind behaviour he had expressed towards the human. He had just brushed it off as being the result of stress from the argument he had with Hyunsuk that day, he didn’t want to think about it any more than that.  
“I’m Yonghee by the way,” the boy smiled, a dimple forming on his cheek, as he held his hand out.  
Byounggon stared at Yonghee’s hand for a few seconds before shaking it. “Byounggon.”  
“Now that I know that you work here, I can pay you back! Just name anything and I’ll do it for y-” Yonghee exclaimed before being interrupted.  
“Are you going to order or not?” Byounggon asked coldly with an unamused expression.  
Yonghee froze, clearly startled by the other’s tone. “Uh...just a hot chocolate.”  
“Here’s your number and I’ll bring it over to you soon.”

Byounggon couldn’t help staring at Yonghee, who was sitting at a table near the window. The sunlight on his face highlighted the natural glow of his skin and the softness of his chocolate-brown hair, which was slightly straighter than it had been the previous day. He was wearing a black and white striped long sleeve shirt that was slightly oversized, accentuating his small figure. He wore mid-wash blue jeans and black converse. Byounggon couldn’t deny that the human was cute, he was small with delicate features. Not only did he have those adorable features, but he also had a sharp jawline, defined cheekbones and soft lips that turned upwards at the corners into a charming smile, meaning he was also incredibly handsome. Byounggon was surprised that someone that attractive was being bullied, he would have assumed that he would be popular.

“Here’s your order,” Byounggon said a few minutes later, carefully placing the cup on Yonghee’s table. He couldn’t help but maintain eye contact with the human as he placed the cup down, entranced by the sparkling eyes that looked back at him. With their faces close together, Byounggon noticed the light blush that dusted the boy’s cheeks, likely embarrassed by the close contact, as well as a charming mole below his eye.  
“Thank you,” Yonghee replied as softly as ever, giving Byounggon another dimpled smile. He made a point of taking a sip of the drink, still maintaining eye contact. “Wow, this tastes amazing.”  
Byounggon bowed and walked away as quickly as he could before his heart leapt out of his chest. He could feel Yonghee staring at him as he walked away.

Byounggon remained behind the counter desperately trying to hide the mental breakdown he was currently having. He couldn’t believe his heart was racing because of a human. He felt like he was going crazy. He told himself that it was just because he wasn’t used to seeing someone so delicate and gentle, so of course he would be overwhelmed. Regardless, he hoped Yonghee wouldn’t come back again because he did not need to have any additional stress in his life, especially not caused by a human.

But life doesn’t like to give you what you want though.

The next day Yonghee visited the cafe again, Byounggon frowning when he saw the human bouncing into the cafe.  
“Hi, Byounggon,” Yonghee greeted chipperly. Byounggon found himself examining the human’s face. Yonghee was leaning on the counter with his hand cupping his face, slightly squishing his cheeks. He wore his familiar dimpled smile and his dark brown eyes shone as he looked up at Byonggon. His hair was slightly messy after being blown by the wind, with a few strands falling onto his forehead. He wore a white long sleeve shirt with beige pants, accessorised with gold jewellery.  
“Is there something on my face?” Yonghee asked, stroking his cheeks after noticing Byounggon staring at him silently.  
“Uh, no...don't worry about it. Sorry,” Byounggon mumbled, his cheeks burning slightly after being caught.

Yonghee ordered a smoothie and a sandwich. Byounggon carried the meal to the table the boy was sitting at, which was notably closer to the counter. Yonghee smiled softly as Byounggon placed the food on the table, before handing Byounggon the payment, which included an additional ten-dollar note.  
“What the hell is this?” Byounggon asked, temporarily forgetting the formalities of his workplace as the human passed him the money.  
“A tip,” Yonghee replied, trying to appear nonchalant as he packed away his belongings, preparing to eat his meal on the go.  
“Well, I can see that,” Byounggon said snarkily, leaning against the table to prevent the human from standing up. Yonghee looked up at Byounggon with wide eyes as he continued. “Why the hell is it this much? Didn’t you tell those guys you couldn’t spare any money because you had to pay rent?”  
“Yeah, but I’ve paid my rent now.”  
“So? That’s still no reason to pay me a ridiculous amount. If you’re still trying to pay me back, then how many times do I have to tell you that you don’t need to.”  
“It’s my money and I can spend it how I want,” Yonghee mumbled, his cheeks bright red. He pushed past Byounggon and left the cafe, leaving Byounggon frustrated and wishing he’d never see that stuck up human again.

“Why are you complaining? Money is money, now we’ll have more to spare after paying our own rent,” Seunghun asked that night, sprawled out on the couch trying to watch a movie.  
“Because I don’t want to owe anything to a human. I can't believe I even helped him in the first place, I must’ve been out of my mind,” Byounggon answered angrily, pacing back and forth in front of the tv Seunghun was using.  
“Mo-ove,” Seunghun whined, tired of moving to see past the irritable demon in front of him. “Just accept that you did one nice thing for a human and leave it at that. He’ll soon get bored and leave you alone.”

Yonghee didn’t leave him alone, one of Byounggon’s coworkers pointing out that he only came on the days Byounggon was working. Every time he came in he would squeeze in as much small talk as he could before Byounggon demanded that he order. Byounggon’s coworkers, all of which were humans, had noticed the drama and purposefully made him take Yonghee’s orders, which didn’t exactly ease Byounggon’s hostility towards humans. If that wasn’t frustrating enough, the human continued leaving tips, though now only a dollar higher than the usual amount, for Byounggon in an attempt to express his gratitude. Yonghee still did all this despite his apparent shy and easily embarrassed nature, making Byounggon question why the boy continued.

* * *

Yonghee couldn’t help but peek up from his laptop every few minutes at the dark-haired boy working behind the counter. He had been visiting the cafe for a few weeks now, so much so that he had somewhat memorised Byounggon’s shifts. The rational side of Yonghee knew that he was embarrassing himself. The other boy had continuously brushed him off and seemed annoyed by his presence, but he couldn’t help being curious about him beyond just wanting to pay him back. 

Byounggon was so serious and blunt, with a sharp, strong appearance to match. However, Yonghee couldn’t help but notice the small moments when Byounggon’s tough act seemed to fade away, such as when he puffed his cheeks full of air to blow long strands of hair away from his face, or when he stuck his tongue out slightly when he was concentrating on his latte art. He was so enthralled by the older boy and he didn’t know why, but he wished Byounggon would give them a chance to get to know each other. However, he could tell that he was a closed-off individual so there was not much chance of that happening. 

Yonghee was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Byounggon was staring back at him while putting his order on a tray. He looked away quickly, unsure of how long he had been watching the other and how long he had been caught for. He pretended to be busy on his laptop as Byounggon walked over, a slight glare on his face as usual.  
“Here’s your order,” Byounggon said as he placed the items on the table, making a point of sighing deeply as he did so.  
“Thank you, Byounggon,” Yonghee replied, emphasising the other’s name. “I’m sure it tastes amazing as always.”  
Byounggon just stared, appearing to be deep in thought. “I need to be honest with you.”  
Yonghee was taken back by the other actually initiating a conversation. “Go ahead.” 

Byonggon looked down at the boy in front of him, who was smiling innocently as ever, clearly eager about his apparent effort to converse. Fuck, this was going to be harder than he had thought. “Honestly you make me uncomfortable and I don’t want you to come back.” Yonghee was frozen in place, pure horror on his face. Byounggon had never seen anyone look so hurt in his life. He swallowed a lump in his throat, it was too late to stop now. “I mean it’s obviously up to you and my manager will kill me if he ever finds out I told a customer to leave, but I had to be honest.”  
Yonghee’s face crumbled as his bottom lip trembled. Byounggon felt an unfamiliar tug on his heartstrings as the human began to cry. “I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t m-mean to make you feel b-bad.” With that, Yonghee shoved his belongings into his bag with shaking hands, placed his payment on the table and pushed past Byounggon to leave, completely ignoring the food he had ordered. 

Byounggon watched silently as the crying boy left the cafe, left completely unsure of what to do. He thought that by asking Yonghee to leave, he would finally be able to put his mind to rest and stop worrying about his interest in the human. When Byounggon had planned this conversation earlier, he knew that Yonghee would be disappointed, but he hadn't anticipated just how upset he would be. Byounggon actually felt guilty, an emotion he never thought in a million years he would feel towards a human. He had maintained a harsh, careless demeanour around humans almost his whole life without a second thought. What was so different now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, please leave your thoughts in the comments if you have time! every single one means the world to me, and i would love to read any feedback! 
> 
> don’t forget you can reach me through:  
> twt: @fairyonghee


	5. Visions of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> byounggon comes home from work upset, snapping at the two younger demons he shares an apartment with. hyunsuk eventually finds himself alone with his worries. he becomes upset, leading to an emotional flashback to the day his parents died.
> 
> slight trigger warning: hyunsuk’s flashback slightly resembles an anxiety attack so just be wary of that

“Byounggon, what’s wrong?” Seunghun asked, watching as his friend played with the food on his plate, making no attempt to eat it.  
“Nothing,” Byounggon muttered, keeping his eyes fixed on the plate.  
Hyunsuk looked back and forth between the two older demons. He had noticed Byounggon had been upset since he got home from so he asked, “did anything happen at work?”  
With that, Byounggon slammed his fork down, his plate smashing due to his ability. “Mind your business, won’t you! Fuck!” He stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him.  
Seunghun glared after him before giving Hyunsuk’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t take it personally. He’s just tired.”  
Hyunsuk nodded, forcing a small smile. “Let me clean this up.” Hyunsuk began to sweep the broken plate pieces into a plastic bag. 

Seunghun came up and hugged him from behind. “Did you look at the universities?”  
Hyunsuk hesitated. He hadn’t looked at them yet after what Byounggon had said about him being a risk, the fear still fresh in his mind, but didn't want to disappoint Seunghun. “Uh...yeah I did.”  
“No, you didn’t,” Seunghun replied simply, turning the younger to face him. “There’s no need to lie about it. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”  
“I do want to! I just didn’t get around to it yet.”  
“If you say so. If you need help with anything at all, don’t forget to ask.” Seunghun gave Hyunsuk another reassuring squeeze. “I’m gonna have a shower now, I’ll see you later.”

Hyunsuk was left alone in the kitchen. Left alone with his worries. He had always dreamt of going to university, and he really wanted to make Seunghun proud to pay him to back for all he had done for him. 

He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if his family hadn’t been killed two years ago. He would still be living a normal human life with his parents and older brother, he would have finished school with ease and he would be prepared to enter university. He wouldn’t be worrying about learning some stupid ability or controlling his new strength and emotions now that he was a demon. That cult stole everything from him; his past, his family and his future. 

Suddenly, Hyunsuk stumbled against the counter, a sharp pain shooting through his head. He grasped the counter with his other hand, struggling to hold himself up. “Ugh…” he groaned weakly as he fell to the ground. 

His mind took him back to the night his family had died. He could hear the crashing against the front door and walls as a dozen demons fought their way inside. He could see the fear on his mother’s face as she hid him inside a closet, planting one last kiss against his forehead. He could smell the smoke and feel the heat against his skin as a demon used his ability to burn the house down. The worst part was that he could hear the screams of pain from his parents as they fought to the end to keep the demons away from their son. Until there was silence.  
“Please...please…” he whimpered as he watched the door being opened in slow motion by a large hand with sharp, claw-like nails, ready to grab the cowering boy who was inside.

“Please...please...”  
Byounggon looked up from his phone, hearing soft whining from the kitchen. He listened for a few more seconds, before getting up, heading towards the noise.  
“Hyunsuk?!” he exclaimed, alarmed by the sight of the young boy cowering against the kitchen cabinets.  
“Please…” Hyunsuk begged again, eyes closed, as he continued to push himself back against the cabinets.  
“Hyunsuk…?” Byounggon carefully placed a hand on the younger boy’s knee and leaned in closer, trying to see if he was sleep talking somehow.  
“Ah! No...no!” Hyunsuk screamed, his eyes still closed as he pulled his knees away from Byounggon to his chest.  
“Hyunsuk! Wake up!” Byounggon called more urgently, pulling Hyunsuk closer to him. This was met with resistance as the younger boy tried to push him away. Byounggon began to use his strength to try and hold the trembling boy still but panicked as he realised it wasn’t working. It appeared as though Hyunsuk had erased his power in his frenzy. Byounggon felt flustered as he realised he had no control over the younger demon’s fit of terror and would be at a severe disadvantage if things turned physical. Byounggon felt light-headed and collapsed against the younger boy as his muscles lost all strength.

“Byounggon, what’s going on?” Seunghun raced out of the bathroom, clothed but hair still dripping.  
“I-I don’t know...he won’t wake up…” Byounggon stuttered, weakly trying to lift himself back up.  
“Hyunsuk!” Seunghun raced across the room to join Byounggon in gently shaking the younger demon, trying to wake the younger demon.  
“Don’t hurt me…”  
“He...erased my ability,” Byounggon tried to explain, finding it difficult to focus.  
“What? How? He’s never been able to use his ability properly before!”  
“I-I don’t know…”

At that moment Hyunsuk gasped sharply and his eyes widened. He was motionless for a few seconds. He then looked between the two older demons who had their hands held out defensively, preparing for any sudden attacks.  
“W-what happened…?” Hyunsuk asked weakly, unable to slow his breathing down.  
Byounggon signalled for Seunghun to get the youngest a glass of water. “You wouldn’t wake up.”  
Hyunsuk looked straight ahead, dazed and unable to think clearly. “My...my parents died.”  
"What do you mean?”  
"I saw my parents...die."  
Seunghun’s eyebrows furrowed with concern as he passed Hyunsuk the glass of water, who struggled to hold it with shaking hands. “Let me,” Seunghun said softly, lifting the glass to the younger’s mouth.  
“It was so vivid...it was like I was right there…again,” Hyunsuk continued, his breathing beginning to steady.  
“Has that ever happened before?” Seunghun asked, reaching out to stroke Hyunsuk’s hair.  
“Not like that. Of course, I’ve thought about it, but never that...intensely. I felt like I was stuck in my mind.”  
“You should know...you used your power on me,” Byounggon explained carefully, unsure of how Hyunsuk would react.  
Hyunsuk’s eyes widened and his mouth fell agape. “W-what? How?”  
Byounggon shrugged. “It was the first time you’ve been able to do that.”  
“Byounggon, how did it make you feel when he used it? We need to understand it as much as we can.”  
“I felt so...weak suddenly. Not just because my ability of strength was taken away, but I also felt mentally weak. I was almost immobilised at first. You saw it, right, Seunghun?”  
Seunghun nodded. He suddenly became focused on the youngest demon, his eyes squinting slightly. “That’s one of the side effects of his power on the demon he uses it against, they’ll feel physically and mentally weakened due to the shock of losing their ability, which is an innate part of them. However, it won’t be erased for long, only ten minutes, according to my reading. That’s his weaknesses. He’ll also become physically exhausted after using it until he gains better control over it since he was turned.”

With every demon ability, certain weaknesses come along with it. Byounggon‘s weakness was that he became increasingly immobile if he used his extra strength and speed for long periods of time. Seunghun’s weakness was that, while he could identify whether someone was a demon or human instantly, identifying a demon’s ability would take longer to read, especially when collecting extra information about their ability such as its strength, conditions and weaknesses. He had been unable to read Hyunsuk’s weaknesses previously since he had never fully exercised his ability since he left the cult. 

The three demons sat together on the kitchen floor in each other’s embrace until late into the night, seeking comfort in each other’s presence. They all felt physically and emotionally drained from all their stresses and problems lately. They needed the chance to just sit quietly and calm down together. 

Despite the presence of his close friends, Byounggon couldn’t stop worrying about what he had said to Yonghee. The image of Yonghee’s face as he cried kept replaying in Byounggon’s mind. ‘I have much more important things to worry about,’ Byounggon thought glancing over at the two younger demons, who had fallen asleep leaning against each other, with Hyunsuk still holding the hands of the two older demons beside him. ‘So why can’t I stop thinking about that damn human?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, please leave your thoughts in the comments if you have time! every single one means the world to me, and i would love to read any feedback!
> 
> don’t forget you can reach me through:  
> twt: @fairyonghee


	6. Difficult Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byounggon admitting that he was wrong?? It can’t be
> 
> tw: someone tries to take advantage of Yonghee but nothing actually happens

It was nearing the end of Byounggon’s shift and he couldn’t help but check the cafe door every few minutes. It had been a week since he had confronted Yonghee and the human had not been back since. Byounggon had gotten what he wanted, so why did he feel so bad about it? He had seen Yonghee at the supermarket once, but the human had pretended he didn’t hear Byounggon calling out to him. Byounggon had seen him again on the way to work but Yonghee had turned his head to face the opposite direction, acting as though he didn’t see him. 

The night after Yonghee had ignored him on the way to work, Byounggon had explained the circumstances to Seunghun.  
“You seriously told him not to come back to a public cafe just because you don’t like him?” Seunghun had asked incredulously.  
Byounggon let out an exasperated breath. “It’s not that I don't like him. He just made me uncomfortable. He was always staring at me and he has such a gentle, soft aura, it was distracting!”  
Seunghun watched as the older demon paced back and forth, hands held behind his head. He sniggered, finding the situation slightly humorous. “It was still unnecessary to kick him out. He’s probably so embarrassed.”  
“I know. It was so unnecessary, mean, harsh, uncalled for, rude, the list goes on. I know it was wrong and he’s probably upset. I actually feel so guilty.”  
Seunghun clapped his hands slowly, shaking his head dramatically as he did. “Wow...you’re actually taking responsibility for your actions. I never thought the day would come.”  
Seunghun wiped away a fake tear as Byounggon whacked him lightly on the arm. “I’m being serious!”  
“And so am I! It’s good that you’ve recognised the negative effects of your actions. I can tell that you’re sorry, you just need to tell him.”  
“I’ve tried! He doesn’t want to hear it!”  
“Just keep trying, I’m sure you’ll get a chance to explain one day.”

“Your husband still not back yet?” Byounggon’s coworker Dawon asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.  
Byounggon sighed. There was no escaping Dawon’s sociable personality, no matter how indifferent Byounggon acted. “Husband my ass. I didn’t even notice he hadn’t come back.”  
“Oh yeah? Then how did you know who I was talking about? I didn’t say his name.” Dawon smirked when Byounggon glared in response. “Anyway, Jiwon and Ungjae came early, so the manager said we can leave. So I’m off, bye.”

Once outside, Byounggon inhaled deeply. Despite it only being early evening, the wind was sharp and cold, causing the demon to shiver. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and turned to walk home. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Yonghee. Had he found a new cafe to eat at? Did he take what Byounggon said personally or did he just think Byounggon was rude to everyone? Did he wonder what he had done to make Byounggon uncomfortable? Byounggon let out a long sigh, he couldn’t believe he was putting this much thought into the feelings of a human. It wasn’t the first time he’d told someone to leave him alone, he had his fair share of confessions from several girls. It was almost pathetic how many humans he’d had to turn down, knowing he was likely to never date in his life, let alone dating a damn human. 

At that moment he looked up and saw Yonghee being dragged apathetically by the wrist down an alleyway. Byounggon couldn’t believe his eyes. He stalled, this was his chance to end this once and for all. If he ignored the situation and didn’t help the human this time, he could finally stop thinking about why he treated Yonghee different. His heart pounded loudly and there was a ringing in his ears as he took three steps in the opposite direction. 

Fuck.

Byounggon found himself turning back around and racing towards the alleyway that Yonghee had been dragged down, ignoring the thoughts in the back of his mind that told him to stop. He panted loudly, drawing the attention of the man who had Yonghee pinned against the wall, a hand on the younger boy’s waist. Yonghee turned hopelessly to face the demon looking utterly defeated. Byounggon was disgusted and alarmed by the sight. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Byounggon yelled, pushing the older man off Yonghee.  
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” the man demanded, swinging a fist towards Byounggon.  
Byounggon dodged before throwing a punch of his own, knocking the man to the ground. He climbed on top of him, pinning him down by the wrists. “Don’t make me repeat myself,” he growled.  
The man looked Byounggon up and down, shocked by his small size in comparison to him. “My friend knows him.”  
“So what?” Byounggon demanded, squeezing the man’s wrists tighter, causing bruises to form.  
The man winced in pain. “I have a feeling your intentions with him weren’t very legal. Why shouldn’t I call the police on you?”  
“H-he’s of age…”  
Byounggon punched the man twice in the face, enraged by what he was being told. “I don’t give a shit how old he is, he clearly didn’t want to do anything with you. Tell your friend that if ANY of you go near him again, you won’t make it out alive. I’m not fucking around.”  
“What’s someone as small as you going to do to all of us?” The man scoffed but was silenced by a punch and a step to the gut as Byounggon stood up.  
“Call the police,” he said, turning to Yonghee who was sitting on the ground a few metres away, trembling with his knees held to his chest. 

A few minutes later the police arrived, as Byounggon held the man down after he tried to escape before they got there. After being questioned by the police, who were obviously confused how a skinny boy like Byounggon had overpowered a thug, they moved onto Yonghee who was still pale and in shock.  
“I think we should take him to the hospital,” an officer explained to Byounggon, pulling him aside.  
“Let me come with you,” Byounggon replied simply, walking towards the police car before getting an answer. 

Yonghee was checked over by a nurse, who told him that there nothing wrong other than that he was in shock. Byounggon had asked to be in the room, a request Yonghee was too weak to deny. Byounggon noticed that the human kept looking at him with a mix of confusion and suspicion throughout the check-up, to which Byounggon remained as stone-faced as ever.  
“You can rest in this bed for a few hours until you calm down,” a nurse explained as she helped Yonghee into a white hospital bed. “Your friend is welcome to wait with you until you both go home.” She smiled kindly before closing the door behind her.

Yonghee frowned at Byounggon before rolling over so that he wasn’t facing him.  
Byounggon almost laughed at the human’s sulking, which was undeniably cute. “You’re mad at me right?” When Yonghee ignored him, Byounggon walked around the bed where he could be seen.  
“Do we have to do this now? I’m already stressed enough, I don’t need to be reminded how uncomfortable I make you feel,” Yonghee asks, emphasising the words he repeated from Byounggon.  
“I just want to apologise and -”  
“I don’t need your lies and fake empathy,” Yonghee interrupted, shifting his pillow so he was propped up into a sitting position.  
“Just listen! I didn’t actually mean what I said that day! I didn’t realise you’d take it so seriously. You could have just told me to fuck off. I’m not the manager, you didn’t have to listen to what I said. So why did you? Why are you always letting people push you around whenever I see you?”  
“It’s all I’ve ever known,” Yonghee blurted out. Byounggon’s face fell slightly as he waited for the human to continue. After a moment of silence, Yonghee looked Byounggon straight in the eye and said, “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”  
“I’m not going to make you explain, but I am really sorry. I’m not lying or pretending to be empathetic.” 

Yonghee frowned with disbelief before gasping as Byounggon kneeled next to the bed with his head lowered. “W-what are you doing?”  
“I feel so horrible about what I said to you, I can’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t want to make you cry. I really regret what I said. It’s not that you make me uncomfortable, that wording was too harsh. I don’t know what it is, but you’re so distracting when you’re around. I’m usually pretty cold, which I’m sure you’ve noticed. I don’t help people, but there’s something different about you...I don’t know how to explain it.”  
Yonghee smiled shyly as he leaned down to tap Byounggon on the shoulder. Byounggon looked up, their faces only inches apart. “Do you mean that you care about me?”  
Byounggon scrunched up his face. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, I don’t think it’s that deep.”  
“You don’t think...but you’re not sure,” Yonghee replied with a small smirk.  
“Shut up. Just accept my apology already.”

“It’s not that simple. You really hurt my feelings,” Yonghee explained in a small voice, leaning back onto the bed. Byounggon stood up as he continued, “I stayed at your cafe to avoid running into those thugs when I didn’t have work. They’d wait outside my apartment at certain times, so I would stay out until they left and there would be more people as witnesses due to peak hour after work.”  
Byounggon didn’t know what to say. He felt even more guilty knowing that he had endangered the other by telling him not to come back. “I don’t know what to say...other than sorry.”  
Yonghee smiled up at the older, “it’s a start.”

“You know...you can come back to the cafe, right?” Byounggon fiddled with the zip on his jacket, his heart beating at a rapid pace. His hands were covered in sweat, he was so nervous about this conversation.  
“I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable. You can be honest with me if you don’t want me to come back.” Yonghee smiled awkwardly at his hands in his lap, breathing deeply as he prepared for the answer.  
“I told you that you don’t make me feel uncomfortable, you’re just a bit...distracting.”  
“Why?”  
Byounggon gulped as he glanced nervously at Yonghee who was staring at him, his head slightly tilted in confusion. “I...don’t know. I guess I’m not used to actually paying attention to someone. I couldn’t stop myself from watching you and thinking about you.”  
“I don’t understand...what do you mean thinking about me?”  
Byounggon felt his cheeks burning. He didn’t know how to answer Yonghee because he didn’t even know the answer himself. “I don’t know that either. I guess you’re kinda small and cute.”  
It was Yonghee’s turn to blush as he turned away from the dark-haired boy. “That’s embarrassing.”  
“You’re telling me,” Byounggon replied, laughing in disbelief. “Don’t worry, it’s not anything more than that. I just think you’re cute...like someone would find a dog or baby cute.” Yonghee turned back, this time with furrowed brows and a pout. Byounggon felt like his heart had been pierced. “That’s not a bad thing...I just don’t want you to think I have any bad intentions. I’m not attracted to you, so you don’t have to worry.” That’s what he said, but Byounggon couldn’t help but notice the sinking feeling in his stomach.  
Yonghee laughed nervously, “I didn’t think you were.” 

The two boys fell into an awkward silence. Yonghee continued to sit propped in the bed, while Byounggon had pulled a chair over for himself.  
“I guess I should go now…” Yonghee said softly a few minutes later, carefully lifting himself off the bed.  
“Let’s go together. We can get a taxi and then I’ll walk you home,” Byounggon replied, noticing the panic on the others face as he said it. “Stop acting so scared of me. Where’s the bold boy who kept moving tables to be closer to me gone?”  
Yonghee turned red. “I-I didn’t move to be closer to you. I-I just wanted a better table.”  
“Sure, sure,” Byounggon retorted, a small smile on his face.  
Yonghee stumbled a little as he began to walk. Byoungggon was quick to wrap the smaller boy’s arm around his shoulders, helping him balance. They stared at each other for a few moments, Byounggon’s eyes glancing between Yonghee’s doe eyes and soft, pink lips. As for Yonghee, he found himself staring into the dark brown eyes of the older boy before examining his sharp jawline. A few moments later, the two became aware of what they were doing, quickly turning red and facing away from each other. 

They spent the entire taxi ride in silence, only speaking when Byounggon paid the fare and Yonghee tried to refuse. They continued to walk in silence as they headed to Yonghee’s apartment.  
When they arrived Byounggon couldn’t help but notice that the apartment complex was in a dodgy area and was awfully small. “This is where you live?” he asked in slight disbelief. Yonghee looked so put together, he had assumed he was well off and would live in a nicer place, possibly paid for by his parents.  
“Yeah...I know it’s not very nice, but it’s all I could afford by myself,” Yonghee replied sombrely, tilting his head to look up at the building.  
“Couldn’t your parents help you find a better place? It seems a bit harsh to make you pay all by yourself.” Yonghee turned slowly towards Byounggon, his face falling. When Yonghee didn’t answer, Byounggon guessed that he must have said something wrong. “Sorry, that was rude of me to ask. Anyway, I’ll be off now.”  
“Oh...thank you for walking me home and for defending me earlier.”  
“It was nothing. Before I go, pass me your phone.” Yonghee watched in disbelief as Byounggon typed in his number. “Give me a call if those guys bother you again and if you need help. I’ll see you at the cafe.” Byounggon walked off with a small wave leaving Yonghee standing on the steps of the apartment complex conflicted and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, please leave your thoughts in the comments if you have time! every single one means the world to me, and i would love to read any feedback!
> 
> don’t forget you can reach me through:  
> twt: @fairyonghee


	7. Hyunsuk’s Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyunsuk’s backstory outlining his childhood, his family’s death and his time with the demon cult, as well as how he met Seunghun and Byounggon.m (I was meant to post this after thre chapter about his breakdown but didn’t realise I’d already published Byounggon’s apology chapter?? it doesn’t matter though bc this is a backstory rather than part of the main plot)
> 
> tw: minor character deaths, violence, panic attacks, minor descriptions of torture

Hyunsuk was born into a family consisting of a mother, a father, and a brother who was five years older, Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo grew excited to have a younger brother, looking forward to being able to play with each other and bond once Hyunsuk was old enough.

And they did.

Despite the age gap, the two brothers became best friends and rarely ever fought. They did almost everything together; weekly trips to the pc room, dressing up in matching costumes and playing make-believe with their parents, walking to and from school together. They were inseparable.

* * *

The two little boys jumped through the front yard, playing hopscotch on the stones that led to his front door. The smaller knocked on the door three times, jumping from foot to foot as he waited for it to be opened.  
A beautiful young woman opened the door and the child beamed up at her. “Hyunsuk, Hyunwoo, you’re home! How are you both?”  
The smaller boy reached his hand out to hold hers as they entered the house, “Hi Mummy! I'm good! I’ve been so excited about our picnic!”  
“Me too!” Hyunwoo chimed in, following after his brother and mother.  
“Shall we see if Daddy is ready to go then?” the mother, asked eagerly, grinning at her sons as she leaned down.  
“Yeah!” the two boys exclaimed racing towards her, wrapping their arms around her in a tight embrace. They all toppled over and laughed together, a tickle fight soon ensuing.  
“I thought you were going to ask if I was ready,” the father, chuckled, walking into the room carrying a large picnic blanket. “It seems like I’m more ready than you are.”

The family walked together to the neighbourhood park for a picnic dinner, an activity they did every few months. The boys played on the playground and fed the ducks while their parents set up the meal. They watched their sons play with hearts full of love, the mother’s head leaning against her husband’s shoulder as he stroked her long black hair.  
“I’m so happy,” the mother whispered, turning to look up at her husband, her dark brown eyes sparkling.  
He smiled before placing a kiss on her forehead. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than this. The most beautiful, kind-hearted wife and two beautiful, healthy sons. Thank you for everything.”  
“We did this together,” she replied, leaning up to kiss the tip of his nose.

“Hyunsuk look! There’s a race car!” Hyunwoo shouted, pointing to a section of the playground that was shaped like a car.  
The two boys raced each other to the car, with Hyunwoo arriving first.  
“I won! This is so cool,” Hyunwoo gasped as he grabbed onto the steering wheel and gave it a big spin. “I want to build cars one day.”  
Hyunsuk took Hyunwoo’s hand in his. “Then I’ll be the driver so then we will never be apart.”  
“You’re a slowpoke though, you won’t win the races,” Hyunwoo replied, tickling his younger brother.  
“Wanna bet!” Hyunsuk exclaimed, squirming away from his brother.

* * *

Someone knocked hesitantly on Hyunsuk’s door before opening it slowly. Hyunsuk looked up from his book to see Hyunwoo standing in his doorway, his eyes shifting.  
“I’ve finished packing,” Hyunwoo said awkwardly, wringing his hands. “Only half an hour left.”  
Hyunwoo was about to leave for university to study engineering, his campus being four hours away. He was going to live on campus for that reason, separating the brothers for the first time.  
Hyunsuk nodded slowly, unsure of why to say. Hyunwoo walked towards him and sat on his bed. “I wish you could come with Dad to drop me off.” Hyunsuk nodded again, biting his lip. “Don’t be sad, Hyunsuk. I’ll be back for the holidays and some weekends.”  
Hyunsuk’s tears spilled over, the thought of being apart from his brother overwhelming. Hyunwoo pulled Hyunsuk off his desk chair and onto the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around the younger.

Hyunsuk felt hopeless. He was dependent on his brother. Hyunsuk had never been without his older brother, he was the person he respected and looked up to the most in the world. He was athletic, with numerous trophies and medals displayed on a shelf in their living room. He was smart, receiving top marks consistently throughout the school. Not to mention he had a good social life, with many friends.

Despite all his successes, Hyunwoo was incredibly humble. He always reminded Hyunsuk to find his own path and never feel pressured to follow in his footsteps. Hyunsuk had been ashamed to admit his passion for social sciences, worried about how he would look in comparison to his brother who was skilled at science and math. It if weren’t for Hyunwoo’s constant encouragement, Hyunsuk probably would have succumbed to the pressure to undertake a math/science-based career like his brother.

* * *

Hyunsuk was upstairs in his room studying. He was determined to make it into the top university like his brother, even if they were going to be studying different subjects. Suddenly, he heard defeating crashes coming from outside. His house shook roughly. Confused, he stumbled towards his window and looked outside.

“What the…?” he said breathlessly. A purple veil covered the horizon, which he would later discover was a demon’s force field ability preventing anyone from entering or leaving the neighbourhood. All the neighbouring houses were in flames as large groups of people clawed their way up walls, and kicked down the doors and windows. This had to be a dream.

His house shook again and he was thrown to the floor. He groaned in pain before he froze, suddenly registering the strong smell of smoke from his own house. He heard screams and cries from outside, some of which were the familiar voices of his neighbours pleading for their lives. He felt nauseous every time he realised a particular voice had stopped screaming, often being cut off mid cry. He could only imagine what had happened to them. Finally overcoming the initial shock and confusion, he thought about his own parents. They were downstairs where whoever was causing all this havoc probably was. His heart pounded in his chest as he raced unsteadily towards his door.

Suddenly, Hyunsuk’s mother burst through the door, launching herself at her son. “Come here,” she whispered urgently as she pushed him into his closet with shaking hands. Hyunsuk noticed several bruises lined her arms and sweat dripping down her face. She placed three cell phones on his lap; his, his father’s and her own. “Stay here and don’t make a sound. As soon as things calm down, call and text everyone you can for help as quickly and quietly as you can.”

Tears streamed down her face as she looked down at her son, whose face was full of fear and confusion. She didn’t know how she could protect her son. All she knew was that she had to try. She also knew this was the last time she would see her son. She wanted so badly for time to slow down so she could hold Hyunsuk in her arms like she did when he was a baby. She wanted to tell him how proud she was of him. That his future was bright. She wanted to give him all the wisdom she had collected over the years to make sure he’d be able to survive on his own. She wanted to call Hyunwoo and tell him all the same things. To tell them both that they had to find each other and keep each other safe. That was her and their father’s dying wish; for their sons to protect, love and support each other because their parents wouldn’t be there to do it anymore.

But there was no time

“Always remember, your father and I love you so much. We always will. Find Hyunwoo as soon as you can.”  
“Mum? I don’t understand? What’s happening?”  
She didn’t reply, instead she planting one last kiss on his forehead before locking the closet doors, Hyunsuk visibly seeing her heartbreak as she did.

Hyunsuk heart started to pound and he started to hyperventilate, his body going into a panic. He raised a trembling hand to his mouth in an attempt to suppress the sound of his heavy breathing. He hadn’t fully registered the situation, he was still hoping his mother and father would open the door and tell him that everything was safe and that everything would be okay.

Instead, he heard them fighting for their lives downstairs. He had never heard anything more disturbing than his parent’s shrill cries of pain after every loud thud. Hyunsuk wanted to throw open the doors and fight for his parent’s lives. He never in a million years thought he would experience the excruciating pain of overhearing his parents die a painful death.  
“Stop!”  
“Please spare us!”  
“Please don’t kill my wife, I’ll do anything!”  
“We don’t want to die!”

And then silence.

Hyunsuk knew what had happened. His stomach churned and his throat tightened, making it almost impossible to breathe. He didn’t even care. He wanted to die. There was no way he could live without his parents. He could still feel the kiss his mother had given him before she’d left. He saw their smiles and heard their laughs before the image was overrun by the memory of their final shouts of desperation. He pictured how their last moments must have been, gagging at the thought.

His bedroom door slammed open, snapping Hyunsuk out of his thoughts. He didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t hide. All he could do was sit in silence, and pray that whoever was outside didn’t find him. He cupped his hands over his mouth. He used his other arm to wrap around his knees, pulling them to his chest, in an attempt to still his trembling body. Every second felt like a minute as the figure stepped closer to the closet. Every footstep caused the ground to shake slightly.

Then they stopped.

Hyunsuk said a silent prayer to his parents and brother. He apologised that he wouldn’t be able to stay alive for them. That this was the end for him. He found himself unable to care about how painful or slow his death would be, nothing would be quick enough for him to see his parents again. He felt guilty about leaving Hyunwoo behind, but he was sure he’d be safe at university. He wished he could say a proper goodbye to him and thank him for everything he had done for him. Deep down, Hyunsuk knew it was probably for the best that Hyunwoo wasn’t here to say goodbye. Not only was he safe, but he also wasn’t sure if he would be able to say a final goodbye. He would’ve clung onto Hyunwoo and not have wanted to let go.

At that moment, the door opened a crack, clawed hands reaching inside to open it. Hyunsuk held his breath, tears finally spilling over as the reality of the situation hit him. He was about to die. He was frozen in place, only able to focus on the hand as it opened the door seemingly in slow motion.

The door was finally pulled off its hinges and thrown across the room. Hyunsuk looked up and was met by the glowing golden eyes of a male being that, despite its appearance, Hyunsuk could tell was not a human. The being kneeled down examining Hyunsuk closely. Hyunsuk whimpered and cringed as clawed hands stroked his face and brushed his hair out of his eyes.  
“You’re pretty young,” the being commented matter of factly, as though he was examining a molecule under a microscope. “Reasonably fit and tall. How old are you?”

Hyunsuk didn’t answer, his eyes still shut tightly. The demon slapped his face, the sound echoing through the room, before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and throwing him across the room. Hyunsuk let out a cry as he hit the ground, his hands burning as he tried to brace himself. He looked up at the being who was now standing over him. Hyunsuk knew for sure that it wasn’t human, no human could have that much strength.

The creature pushed a foot onto Hyunsuk’s chest, applying crushing pressure that made it hard to breathe.  
“How old are you?” he demanded again as he applied more pressure with each word.  
Hyunsuk wheezed, his lungs feeling as though they would burst. “Fif-fifteen.”  
A crazed grin formed on the creature’s face before he leaned down so he was hovering over Hyunsuk. “The perfect age to be turned into a demon,” he growled into Hyunsuk’s ear. He pushed a needle full of green bubbling liquid into Hyunsuk’s arm, causing the boy to convulse before he passed out.

* * *

“Are you a family member of this residence?”  
Hyunwoo turned around slowly, dark circles surrounded his eyes. “I’m their son, Hyunwoo.”  
“I’m Officer Koh and I want to say that I’m sorry about your loss. Do you mind if we chat for a few minutes?”  
Hyunwoo nodded forlornly before he turned back to look at the remains of his family home. The roof had collapsed, the walls had cracks in them and the entire second floor had crumbled.  
“I need to tell you something, you can choose whether you believe it or not. You and the other families deserve to know the truth.”  
Hyunwoo looked hesitantly at the officer, taken aback by his serious tone, replacing the sympathetic one he had a few minutes before.  
“This wasn’t done by humans.”  
Hyunwoo cocked his head, confused by what he’d been told. “What do you mean? I’ve just lost my family, I’m not in the mood for games.”  
“This isn’t a game, this is an extremely dangerous situation that the entire team is taking seriously. An entire neighbourhood torn to shreds, hundreds of lives lost and missing teenagers. Including your brother.”  
Hyunwoo snapped his head away at the mention of his brother. “Hyunsuk isn’t missing. Hyunsuk is dead,” he replied through gritted teeth.  
“This was done by demons who are collecting teenagers to turn into demons themselves. We are part of a special undercover unit that monitor the activities of demons. Demons usually live peacefully among us, you wouldn’t even know they were one unless they told you. However, some still maintain their savage nature and undertake activities such as this.”  
Hyunwoo looked at Officer Koh incredulously, hurt written all over his face. “This is a joke,” he muttered as he began to walk away.  
“Wait! Officer Yang is a demon with psychometric powers. He can tell you exactly what happened to your brother.”  
Hyunwoo looked between the two officers and shook his head with disappointment. “He’s dead.”

The two officers watched as the young man walked away from them, hands in his pockets and head low.  
“Should we go after him? He deserves closure,” Officer Yang asked.  
Officer Koh sighed deeply, “it’s probably best if he doesn’t know the cruel fate of his brother. It would be more peaceful if he thinks he’s dead.”

* * *

Hyunsuk sat in a long hall, rows and rows of young newly turned demons shackled together with metal made by a demon that they couldn’t shatter despite their now superhuman strength. Hyunsuk hadn’t fully grasped the situation. When he’d woken up, he had been told that he had been turned into a demon and that his new ability would be assessed today. He was miserable and in immense pain. His entire body felt heavy and pounded as he felt the thick liquid that had been in the needle coursing through his body. His body trembled uncontrollably, his muscles convulsing every few minutes, unable to adjust to the change.

“Attention!” a voice shouted, echoing through the hall. The shackled room of new demons looked up hopelessly and saw an elegant middle-aged man standing on the stage. He wore a long burgundy robe lined with gold and extravagant gold jewellery. Behind him were thirteen others, both male and female, wearing matching robes, but in a deep purple. “I am The Collector. I am your new leader. You have been turned into demons for the greater good of demonkind. We need an army full of demons with strong powers, so you will be assessed today. Only those with useful powers will survive this trial.”

The young demons were released from their shackles one by one as they were escorted onto the stage and strapped onto a metal bed. A demon then used his ability to read what abilities they had to determine whether they were useful enough to keep alive. Hyunsuk’s stomach churned every time he heard The Collector say “destroy them”, unsure of whether he was heartbroken knowing the fate of those demons or whether he was envious that their pain and suffering would soon be over.

Hyunsuk was soon called up, carried roughly by two muscular demons. They slammed him onto the bed and tightened the straps. He squeezed his eyes shut as the demon that would read his power came closer, not wanting to make eye contact.  
“Your majesty...he’s got an extremely good power…” the reader said breathlessly, contrasting his indifferent tone of voice when assessing everyone else. “He can cancel demon’s abilities leaving them weak and useless under his power.”  
Hyunsuk opened one eye, only to see all the robed figures, including The Collector, peering down at him.  
“Keep him,” The Collector said, his eyes sparkling with intent.  
Hyunsuk knew that his so-called power was going to be exploited. He wanted nothing more than to break free and run away, destroying himself before he became the monster they wanted him to be.

He was shackled along with the other chosen demons. By the time the assessment was over, only twelve of the thirty young demons had survived the process. Hyunsuk felt numb, unable to process that everyone else that had been in the room was now dead. That he was about to be trained rigorously as a weapon for war.

During his time at with the cult, Hyunsuk learned that the demons planned to go to war with humans. They needed to have demons with strong powers on their side to overcome the military weapons humans had. They also created new demons to try and balance out the significant population imbalance between humans and demons. The cult existed unknowingly to greater human society. Some of the demons even spent time amongst humans. They lived and worked amongst humans maintaining a peaceful facade, those around them unaware of their murderous intent.

Hyunsuk was subjected to weeks of harsh and painful training, the demons doing anything they could to strengthen his power to the maximum. They injected him with medication to subdue him and the other young demons so they wouldn’t attempt to escape or fight back. Demons would attack him with the full extent of their powers until he gave in turned them off with his own abilities. He would be refused food and water if he tried to fight their orders. He and the other demons who forced to sleep in a bunker, their mattresses hard and their blankets thin.

Everyday Hyunsuk hoped with every ounce of his soul that his suffering would end, whether it be by dying or by escaping. His anger grew, he could almost feel it coursing through his veins. He would end this. One way or another.

* * *

Hyunsuk fell to the ground and coughed, splatters of blood falling from his lips. He struggled to lift himself up, his arms weak and shaking under his weight. The demons were desperate for Hyunsuk’s power to develop fully because they had plans to raid a demon sanctuary and would need to mitigate against the powers they may encounter. That’s why he was being trained harder than any other young demon. Hyunsuk was being forced to face all six of the trainers at once, each throwing an ability at him one after another.

At that moment, Hyunsuk felt his anger reach its boiling point. His vision began to cloud as his emotions started to overflow. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, he rose to his feet and glared at the trainers in front of him. Their faces dropped slightly at the sight of the raging young demon in front of them. Suddenly they all collapsed as Hyunsuk unexpectedly used his ability on them. Usually, after he’d used his power he was weak and immobile, and he was automatically shackled by the unbreakable metal. One of the trainers reached into his pocket and pressed the button for the chains to be sent out. Hyunsuk managed to dodge the chains, feeling stronger than ever even though he’s just used his ability. The trainers, still weak from his attack, looked up with concern.  
“Someone call for the defence team!”  
They struggled to pull the walkie talkies from their pockets. Before they could finish the call, Hyunsuk grabbed a large piece of rubble and launched it at the walls of the arena they were in, causing the walls to collapse. He grabbed a fire-lit torch as he raced out, turning around to watch the building fall with none of the trainers escaping.

“Freeze!”  
Hyunsuk turned back to see five members of the defence team coming up to him. One was the demon with the metal ability, who shot a large chain towards Hyunsuk. Hyunsuk fell as the chain wrapped tightly around him.  
“You’re going to regret fighting back you little brat,” the demon smirked, spitting on the ground next to Hyunsuk’s face.  
Suddenly, Hyunsuk strained his muscles and managed to snap the chains in half, breaking free.  
“I thought you said no demon could break your metal!?”  
“No one ever has before! It must be because he’s a half-demon, they tend to be stronger, but none of them has ever done this!”  
Hyunsuk then launched himself at the members of the defence team, using all his emotion-driven strength to beat them to the ground. Once they’d passed out, Hyunsuk took the fire-lit torch and lit their clothing, without a second thought.

He continued his rampage towards the headquarters where the officials, including The Collector, resided. With one punch, he smashed through the large wooden door. The officials were seated at a long table covered with a red silk table cloth. The Collector sat at the end of the table and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Hyunsuk.  
“That was fast,” he stated matter-of-factly, waving a hand dismissively towards Hyunsuk.  
“Your Majesty? What do you mean?”  
“Well, it was obvious that with an ability that powerful, he’d be a strong fighter too. Not to mention that all half-demons are stronger than natural-born demons until they mature. Come on, you should know this.”  
“It shouldn’t have grown this strong this fast though!”  
“No, I wasn’t expecting it. I’m not often surprised, but you have surprised me, boy. I was hoping your ability wouldn’t develop fully until we’d had time to explain to you the importance of our plan. I didn’t expect you to still have human values when this happened. We’ll just have to work with what we have now, won’t we? Why don’t you come and sit with us? We have a feast today, I’m guessing you haven’t been fed in a while.”  
Hyunsuk scoffed, feeling out of character and confident. “Why would I care what you have to say? What a joke.” With that, he leapt across the room, landing on the table with a crash, turning the powers of the demons in front of him off. They all fell against the table, The Collector staring at Hyunsuk with a mix of amusement and disgust.  
“I’m done here!” Hyunsuk yelled, lifting The Collector up by his robe. He threw him across the room, “you can all rot in hell!” With that he left the building before he smashed one of its walls, again watching as the building collapsed.

Hyunsuk walked out of the cult, simply turning off the ability of any demon that tried to fight him, setting fire to them and the buildings he passed. He didn’t look back once, completely numb to his actions.

After walking aimlessly down a freeway for three hours, it finally hit Hyunsuk what he had done. He had killed people. Not just one, but an entire group of them. As he walked he realised what he had become. He’d become a murderous monster just like they had wanted.

* * *

Months passed and Hyunsuk finally reached the city he knew his brother was living in after making many pit stops and hitching as many free rides as he could. People stared as Hyunsuk passed, staring at his filthy rags and dirt-covered face. He was thin and starving, barely being able to find enough food in the trash to survive. Hyunsuk found it difficult to blend in amongst humans, falling into fits of rage whenever his emotions got overwhelming. He kicked over trash cans and screamed as he ran down the street, desperately searching for his brother.

* * *

“Oh my god…” Hyunsuk gasped as the vision of his parent’s death filled his mind, collapsing amongst the trash in the alleyway he was in. He placed a hand on his chest trying to calm his pounding heart, but it was hopeless. He wanted to give in, to just curl into a ball and never get up. He couldn’t bring himself to surrender yet, his mother’s dying wish ringing in his ears. He had to find Hyunwoo.

“Excuse me…?” a gentle voice called out. Hyunsuk looked up slowly, meeting the eyes of a blonde boy who was smiling at him softly. “Do you need my help?”  
Hyunsuk continued to stare in confusion. He did need help, but he had no idea how this boy could help him or why he’d even offered.  
When Hyunsuk didn’t reply, the boy just sat carefully beside him. “I’m Seunghun. I can help you.”  
“I don’t think you can…” Hyunsuk replied hoarsely, his voice sore from crying earlier that day.  
“You’d be surprised,” Seunghun smiled brightly at the younger before continuing. “You’re a demon, right?”

Hyunsuk felt as though his heart had been pierced at the other boy’s words. “Please! Don’t hurt me, I’m not a monster! I didn’t mean it!” Hyunsuk sobbed as he gripped Seunghun’s shirt tightly and dropped his head, begging for mercy. The boy must want to turn him into the police, but Hyunsuk couldn’t let that happen. He needed to find his brother.  
“Hey…calm down,” Seunghun said soothingly as he rubbed the back of the younger. “I know you’re not a monster. I’m a demon too.”  
Hyunsuk raised his head in disbelief. All the demons he had ever seen were evil, dark creatures with appearances equally as terrifying. Yet the boy who stroked his back was young, fresh and kind looking. He looked...normal.  
“I know it’s confusing, but demons have actually lived pretty peacefully amongst human society. We just hide our identities. However, there are some demons who don’t believe we should live alongside humans...which I’m sure you’re very familiar with.”  
Hyunsuk nodded slowly. “H-how did you know I was a demon though? Is there a way to tell?”  
Seunghun shook his head. “You would never know unless a demon told you or showed you their ability. Demons also can’t tell if someone else is a demon or not. Except me. My ability allows me to tell if someone is a demon or not. My roommate mentioned the neighbourhood rumours of your outbursts to me and we both suspected you might be a recently turned demon, so I decided to try to find you. I was right.  
Hyunsuk suddenly pushed Seunghun away sharply. “Don’t use your ability on me. I knew someone with your ability and he sent people to their deaths.”  
“Demons can have the same abilities, but it doesn’t mean they’ll use it in the same way. I’m just trying to help. I don’t want you to get into trouble, I can tell you’ve already been through a lot. You should stay with me, I can keep you safe.”

Hyunsuk refused, ignoring the other demon for the rest of the afternoon. Seunghun eventually left once it got dark, surprising Hyunsuk with his persistence. Hyunsuk thought that was the end of that ordeal, but Seunghun showed up the next afternoon with a large box of food.  
“You must be starving,” he’d said as he handed the younger demon the box.  
Hyunsuk ate the food, but continued to brush off the older boy’s questions and offers.

Seunghun continued to visit Hyunsuk every day, bringing him food, hygiene products and clothes. Hyunsuk couldn’t help but feel his heart soften at the older boy’s actions. He couldn’t believe a demon could be so kind. Eventually, Seunghun got Hyunsuk to the point that they could actually carry a conversation.

* * *

The rain pierced Hyunsuk’s skin and the wind slapped his face. It was the first storm of the season and it wasn’t holding back. Hyunsuk sat shivering in the rain with a blanket that Seunghun had gotten him wrapped around his shoulders in an attempt to fight against the cold. It was no use, the wind was too strong and the rain just soaked through. Hyunsuk rested his head on his knees and cried. How had his life turned out like this? A few months ago he was studying hard, living with his family and skyping his brother almost every night. Now he was homeless with no family and no hope. He slowly removed the blanket and laid flat on the ground, closing his eyes tightly. He gave up.

Suddenly, the rain stopped hitting his face. Hyunsuk opened one eye.  
Seunghun was standing over him holding an umbrella. “Let’s go Hyunsuk.”  
Helpless and numb, Hyunsuk was too weak to refuse. Seunghun helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to help him walk.

“What hot drink would you like? Tea? Hot chocolate? I would offer coffee, but that might keep you up. Do you want warm milk?” Seunghun asked, opening the kitchen cupboard, before turning back to Hyunsuk. Hyunsuk just stared at him forlornly. Seunghun had loaned him pyjamas and a fluffy dressing gown and had sat him in front of a heater. “Come on, Hyunsuk. Don’t think of yourself so lowly, you deserve just as much help and love as everyone else.”  
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew all of my past,” Hyunsuk retorted, pulling his knees to his chest defensively. He had briefly mentioned to Seunghun that he had been turned into a demon by a cult, but hadn’t expanded more than that.  
“I highly doubt that,” Seunghun replied, carrying over a tray with several cups on in, each containing a different hot beverage since Hyunsuk hadn’t picked one.  
Hyunsuk looked up at Seunghun incredulously. He had noticed that the older demon often went to great lengths to be kind and helpful. He sighed deeply, dismissing the cups that Seunghun held out. “I killed people.”  
Hyunsuk waited for Seunghun to cuss him and kick him out, but instead Seunghun just cocked his head. “I figured. How else would you have escaped?”  
Hyunsuk shook his head. “You don’t understand. I killed so many people and broke entire buildings. I’m a monster.”  
“It was self-defence though. You probably saved more lives by killing them. They can’t turn anyone else.”  
Hyunsuk didn’t answer, looking down thoughtfully. He had never thought about it that way. He supposed Seunghun was right, but his stomach still churned when he thought about how he had ended lives.

* * *

Hyunsuk had been living with Seunghun and his roommate, Byounggon, for two months. He had barely left the apartment, partly because he was too scared to be around humans, but also because Byounggon didn’t want him to.  
“He’s dangerous,” Byounggon had said strictly. Byounggon always kept a close eye on Hyunsuk. Hyunsuk knew it was because he saw him as a threat. However, Byounggon had softened up slightly over the past few weeks, routinely checking that the younger had everything he needed and wanted. It was a sharp contrast to his previous cold and sceptical approach to the younger boy.

Hyunsuk had been allowed out for one of the first times since he’d moved in, Seunghun telling Byounggon that it was going to drive him mad if he was confined. Seunghun had sent him to the grocery store with a list of items to pick up.

Hyunsuk walked down the bread aisle when he saw a familiar figure.  
“Hyunwoo…?”  
Hyunwoo turned around in disbelief, almost losing his balance when he saw his brother who had died almost a year prior standing in front of him. “What the fu-”  
He was interrupted as Hyunsuk flung himself at his brother, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He was alarmed when Hyunwoo shoved him off roughly. “H-Hyunwoo?”  
“You’re one of them aren’t you? That’s the only way you could have survived.”  
Hyunsuk could tell by the poison that dripped from his brother’s words what he was referring to. Hyunsuk grabbed onto his brother’s hand in desperation. “Not really...you have to listen to me. Can we go talk somewhere please?”  
“I don’t want to hear it. God who would’ve thought those officers had told the truth,” Hyunwoo replied coldly, trying to shove Hyunsuk’s hand off his. Hyunsuk held on tighter, too tight forgetting about his new strength. Hyunwoo’s hand turned red as he finally broke his hand away. “Get off me, you vile creature.”  
Hyunsuk gaped at his brother’s words. This couldn’t be happening. “Please Hyunwoo! Please give me a chance to explain! I promised Mum we’d be together!”  
“Don’t cause a scene,” Hyunwoo said through gritted teeth. “And don’t you dare try to guilt me into listening to you. You disgust me.”  
With that Hyunwoo turned and walked away, sparing one last glare at his brother. Hyunsuk trembled on the spot unsure of what to do. He couldn’t believe that Hyunwoo, who had always been so loving and encouraging, could be so cruel. He dropped the basket he was carrying, too mentally drained to finish Seunghun’s shopping. He was about to leave the store when he quickly grabbed a notepad and a pen and scribbled his address onto it. “Give this to the young man in a green coat. His name is Hyunwoo,” he said, passing the note to the security guard that stood outside the store.

Byounggon, Seunghun and Hyunsuk were watching a movie when there was a loud knock at the door. Byounggon paused the movie before walking towards the door, one hand in his pocket. He opened it nonchalantly before his eyes widened, it was the first time Hyunsuk had seen Byounggon be anything but calm.  
“Uh...hello officer,” Byounggon mumbled as a police officer entered the apartment.  
The officer stared straight at Hyunsuk, sending chills down his spine. “He needs to come with us.”

The officer explained on the way to the station that he was a member of the demon police and that Hyunwoo had turned Hyunsuk in after receiving the note with his address. Hyunsuk clenched his firsts, his rage building up. He couldn’t believe that Hyunwoo had been so selfish. Surely Hyunwoo knew this isn’t what their parents would have wanted. Hyunsuk knew one thing; Hyunwoo was no brother to him anymore. Byounggon, who had insisted on accompanying Hyunsuk to the station, reached across to squeeze Hyunsuk’s fists reassuringly, trying to calm the younger’s obvious frustration. It was the first time the older had openly shown that he cared.

After a lengthy legal battle, Seunghun and Byounggon insisted that the safest option was for Hyunsuk to stay with them. They were experienced demons who were around his age. They promised to keep him safe and make sure he didn’t endanger anyone. Eventually, the demon police agreed but emphasised that they would be keeping a close eye on Hyunsuk. The second he became a danger to human society, he would be arrested.

That’s why it was so important that Byounggon and Seunghun helped Hyunsuk control his emotional fits; they needed to protect his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, please leave your thoughts in the comments if you have time! every single one means the world to me, and i would love to read any feedback!
> 
> don’t forget you can reach me through:  
> twt: @fairyonghee


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